5 Tips for Surviving the Holidays While Going Through Divorce

Holidays can be the hardest part of a separation year. Five practical tips.

Plan early. Don't leave Christmas, Hanukkah, or New Year's logistics for the last minute. The earlier you and your co-parent agree, the less stress for everyone.

Build new traditions. Old traditions may not fit your new life. Inventing a new one — a Boxing Day hike, a different style of New Year's Eve — can take the sting out.

Limit time with people who drain you. You don't need every well-meaning aunt's opinion this year.

Watch the alcohol. Holidays plus grief plus drinking is a known bad combination. Be intentional.

Schedule kindness for yourself. A massage, a quiet morning, a film you love. Small acts of self-care matter more, not less, during the season.